Did Royce Lewis Call Out Carlos Correa After Minnesota Twins Season Finale?

The Minnesota Twins did not have a fun end of their season. They missed the MLB playoffs, thanks to a truly epic collapse. No one enjoys losing, and it can cause frustration between even the closest of confidants. Judging by last night’s comments though, Royce Lewis may have had enough of being Carlos Correa’s scapegoat.

Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa have been familiar with one another for years. They share the same agent, in Scott Boras, and Lewis was present for Correa’s first introductory press conference.

That doesn’t mean Correa always plays nice. Remember, it was just last week when the 29-year-old World Series champ called out his younger teammates for what he perceived as a lack of dedication.

“There’s got to be a sense of urgency in terms of showing up earlier and getting the work in, trying to find something that can help us”… “We have a lot of young guys and a lot of people try to help them, but at the end of the day, everybody has to figure it out on their own.”

Carlos Correa last week before Twins fell out of playoff race

Minnesota Twins Royce Lewis fires back at Carlos Correa?

It was clear, even immediately after Carlos Correa’s comments went public, that they rubbed Lewis the wrong way. And following a loss in game 162 on Sunday afternoon, Royce Lewis talked with Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Star Tribune, where he seemed to fire shots back at his elder teammate (and left side infield parter).

“It kind of falls on, obviously, the players. But I didn’t realize it was just on us. Now I know that we’re going to carry a lot of the load, especially the young guys — the cheap guys is the best way to put it.”

Royce Lewis on the Twins missing the postseason (Star Tribune)

It’s tough to think that such a collapse would fall on players like Lewis, Jose Miranda, Brooks Lee, Simeon Woods Richardson, and other young talent. Of course, they were the ones who were present for the slide however. The highly paid Correa, who made $33.3 million this year, played in just 86 games due to an injury his own decisions played a part in.

Related: Royce Lewis Doesn’t Know How to Feel About Recent Carlos Correa Rant

When Correa seemed to call out his teammates in the final week, it lack the self-awareness of the situation. Sure, Correa led the team by posting 4.3 fWAR while active, but he also missed the entirety of the second half (short of the last two weeks).

Trouble in Minnesota Twins “paradise”…?

It’s great that Minnesota employs one of the best shortstops in baseball. But it doesn’t matter if he isn’t in the lineup on a daily basis. And when you’re paying someone $33 million ($37 million next season), you want them to be on the field.

The Twins already have announced they don’t intend to further drop payroll. That doesn’t mean they will raise it either, and players like Correa and Pablo Lopez set for increases, there won’t be much more to go around.

Related: Minnesota Twins Claim They’re Done Cutting Payroll

That again puts plenty of pressure on pre-arbitration and other young players to perform. The team as a whole is at fault for their lacking execution, but you’d expect better than a public war of words from a 10-year veteran.

CARLOS CORREA AND ROYCE LEWIS GO BACK TO BACK 🔥🔥🔥#MNTwins
pic.twitter.com/1cGGQHIKhs

— Twins Talk (@LetsTalk_Twins) June 16, 2024

Time may be necessary to heal whatever wounds have appeared between Correa and Lewis. It’s the heat of the moment in an otherwise frustrating finish. Maybe Lewis moving across the diamond this offseason sparks a new level of production for him.

Related: Minnesota Twins Have Made Final Decision on Rocco Baldelli

Maybe Correa finds a way to be both good and healthy as he was while seeking a payday in 2022. No matter how this shakes out, it’s clear that there are some emotions manifesting themselves in eye-opening ways.